The ruins of Corumar
by Meldirieth
Summary: Be careful what you want: eternal life is not as wonderful as it seems. 7th story of "The Lonely Star" series.


The ship landed. The man saw that he was in the right place before getting ready to leave. He activated the invisibility shield and grabbed his gun. Although theoretically he was on an uninhabited planet, it was not uncommon to find people occasionally visiting the place. He had a purpose there and was not going to let anyone interfere. He took one last look at his notes and left the ship. He went to the necropolis of the city, which was inside a large cave with the entrance beautifully sculpted in stone, a place for rest, full of peace and tranquillity where the most illustrious people of Corumar were lying, but he walked past the graves and went towards the end of the chamber. If the discovery of his old mentor was true, hidden in the wall was the button that would lead him to his goal. He felt it from beginning to end until he found the switch and, when he pressed it, the false wall that it was actually a door opened, revealing a second chamber as large or larger than the cemetery, full of statues carved in reddish stone, but the statues were not what he wanted, but rather what was at the end of the chamber: a control console with a single button made of diamond that had a small cylindrical mechanism with an opening at one end attached, but the device was incomplete. In the opening should have embedded a diamond like the one of the control console. The man looked frantically around the room, cursing to himself the hypothetical thief who may have taken the jewel. Furious, the man decided to look in every corner of the city. It was a large city, but the reward was worth it. On leaving the cemetery he saw that a strange blue box had appeared not far from his hidden ship, and from it came out a couple of what seemed to be mere humans, a tall man with curly hair and strange attire who held his hand to a pretty girl with long hair. Good time those two had chosen to visit Corumar. Luckily he had taken his gun.

There was no sound but that of their footsteps as they walked. The sun rose in the red sky, making shine with its yellowish light the buildings and monuments, they all made of stone. Sarah stared open-mouthed at the majesty of the architectural and sculptural works she had before her. Beside her, the Doctor smiled pleased to see her amazed face.

"These are the ruins of Corumar, so called because the corumians don't inhabit this planet since centuries, not because they are in bad shape," said the Doctor like a tour guide.

"They're wonderful," Sarah said in an emotional voice.

"I knew you would like it. This is one of my favourite places. In my opinion, it deserves to be one of the Seven Hundred Wonders of the Universe."

"Isn't it?"

"No. It holds the position seven hundred and one."

"Who were the corumians?" Sarah asked, wanting to know about the makers of such beautiful creations.

"They were a race of humanoids. Long arms, short legs, broad shoulders, thick skin like the stone they loved. Their life expectancy was barely thirty years old and had serious problems to perpetuate their species," he said, sharing with her his knowledge about the former inhabitants of the planet.

"A race doomed to early extinction." Sarah's voice was sad.

"Exactly. They were aware of their early extinction, so devoted their lives to record their existence through these majestic works in stone." He spread his arms in a gesture of abundance.

"They are like the great monuments of the Ancient World. It will take centuries and they still remain to remind their authors," Sarah said.

"That is," he smiled. "First we go there," he said, pointing a construction similar to a Roman temple which was on their right. "It's a museum where there are the most beautiful sculptures that the human eye, or any other species, has ever seen."

Just had begun to move Sarah stumbled and fell. She looked around what had tripped her and found a strange lump on the ground that caught her eye. By touching it with her fingers it began to emit a bright light.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Something we can leave for later," said the Doctor kneeling beside her and carefully examining her leg. "I don't think you've broken anything. Does it hurt much?" he asked with a worried expression on his face.

"Relax, it's nothing," she reassured him.

"We can go to the TARDIS for you to rest, and come back another day."

"You worry too much, my dear, it just been a stupid fall."

"Nonsense. One never worries too much about his loved ones, my darling Sarah," he said giving her a soft kiss on the nose.

"Yes, I understand your point of view," the girl agreed. If someone cared too much for her loved ones, especially for the Doctor, that was Sarah.

"Well, let's look at the cause of your stupid fall," said the Doctor digging up the shiny object. "Oh, beautiful."

What the Time Lord had in his hand was a round diamond as big as a tennis ball that shone intensely. Both he and his young companion looked fascinated the beauty and perfection of the diamond without knowing that they were not the only ones watching it.

"What's that?" Sarah asked again. "It looks like a diamond, but it is very big!"

"In this galaxy there are planets on which this type of diamonds so big abounds. They don't have the same value they'd have on Earth. Anyway this one is different. I'd never seen anything like this here, but this shouldn't be its place. We'll leave it in the museum."

He put the jewel in his pocket, stood up and took Sarah's hand to help her up. They began their march to the museum when someone called from behind.

"Hey, you two," said the man.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted. "I didn't expect there would be more people here, it still not high tourist season."

"I know, for this reason I've chosen these days to come."

"We too. I like the tranquillity. I'm the Doctor and she's Sarah Jane Smith. Who are you?"

"I am Raxor," he said.

Raxor was a man almost as tall as the Doctor, short brown hair and moustache, an ordinary guy, but his cold eyes made Sarah suspicious of his intentions and she wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.

"Doctor, let's go to the museum before it come lunchtime," she said pretending calm.

"Yes, we take up time. Well, we go to the museum of sculptures," the Doctor said to Raxor.

"I'm more interested in the cemetery," said Raxor.

"Yeah, well, I prefer to leave death for last, if you know what I mean," the Doctor laughed at the end of the phrase but the man didn't return it.

He took Sarah's hand and resumed their way to the museum, but the sound of a shot in the air stopped them again.

"Hold it right there, you two," Raxor said while pointing at them with his gun.

"Only we are able to meet a madman with a gun on an inhabited planet," Sarah whispered upset with their bad luck.

"What is it, Raxor," the Doctor asked raising his hands, his voice low and serious.

"You have something I'm looking for," he said.

"Oh, this?" the Doctor put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the diamond. "Take it, I don't want it. I was going to leave it in the museum." He threw the shining jewel to Raxor, who caught it. "Now if you excuse me, we'll continue our way."

"Not so fast, Doctor. You were the first one to touch the diamond, so I need your hand's impression, so you decide: either you join me, or I cut your hand."

"I was the first one to touch the diamond ..." he said thoughtfully. "What is this about?"

"I'll explain later."

"I won't stand this suspense," the Doctor whispered to Sarah, who replied shaking her head.

"What have you decided, Doctor?" Raxor asked in a voice that denoted his impatience.

"Okay. I'll go with you, but let the girl stay here, it is my hand what you need, not hers," he replied.

"I don't trust you, Doctor. The girl comes with us. So I make sure that you don't try weird things."

"Weird things? Me? It's you the one who asked for my hand at gunpoint!"

"Don't get funny with me. Your girlfriend is very beautiful, it would be a shame to disfigure her pretty face," he said pointing the gun at Sarah.

The Doctor gave him a furious look, a look that clearly said 'don't touch my Sarah', but Raxor was not intimidated by the anger of the Time Lord. Sarah thought that sooner or later he would regret his mistake.

"I had to try," the gallifreyan told the girl.

"Anyway I had no intention of leave you alone with him," Sarah said quietly.

"Walk!" urged Raxor. They obeyed resigned.

Upon reaching the cave entrance the Doctor stopped.

"Why did you stop?" Raxor's anger grew. He wouldn't consent to unnecessary delays.

"I just don't like to go into caves with potentially dangerous people, I learned that nothing good comes from experience, and an armed guy of whom we know nothing is the very definition of potentially dangerous people. Tell us Raxor, who are you? I think we deserve a bit of information on your part, you don't seem to be a grave robber."

"I have no intention of stealing anything. I was the assistant of professor Callawayn, archaeologist from Delphos, passionate scholar of the ruins of this city. One day on Tallauril, visiting the great hall of the Council of Elders she found sculptures made by the corumians and inquired about them. She was informed that the Elders commissioned the sculptures and, in return, the corumians asked that the tallauril scientists find the way to perpetuate themselves forever, and so they did. They built for them a machine that would make these stone lovers live forever."

"Fascinating, but something doesn't add up. If the corumians got the gift of eternal life my people would know it, and I have no knowledge of any immortal corumian."

"I don't know who your people are, but you're wasting my valuable time. Move on!"

"Moreover, it may have been a long time since the last time I was here, what year is it? Well, never mind," he said, walking among the tombs of stone, beautifully carved.

"Don't make him angry even more, Doctor. He said that he WAS the assistant of the archaeologist, but I doubt he left his post as good manners," said Sarah, who had no doubt that Raxor liked to use his gun.

"This isn't the kind of tourist visit I wanted to do with you, Sarah. I wanted you enjoyed the stone turned into art," the Doctor apologized.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault," she smiled sweetly and he kissed her lips, taking advantage of their unwanted companion was not paying attention, but their romantic time was short-lived.

"You'll have time for cuddles afterwards. Come here," he said pointing to the door leading to the chamber of the statues.

"Good heavens!" the Doctor exclaimed surprised when he came into the room. "I've never seen this before."

"How many statues!" Sarah was also amazed with the find. "And they are all different from one another!" There were hundreds of statues there, but there was no face like another.

"These are portraits of the inhabitants of the city. Look, at their feet there are inscriptions with their names and dates of birth and death." The Doctor stopped to read one of the names. "Than'na May ... Hey! I knew him. Charming man, a little smug, but who am I to judge people? It's impressive," he said watching the statue. "It's completely identical to him."

"And all the statues have a peaceful expression on their face," Sarah realized.

"You're not going to pose for posterity with an expression of 'I have a toothache'," said the Doctor.

"Doctor, you still have something to do before admiring the stones," Raxor said at the other end of the room.

The Time Lord smiled. The extraordinary statues had made him forget that he and Sarah were hostages of a madman, armed and in a hurry. They approached the man, who was next to a strange device that immediately caught the attention of the gallifreyan, who looked at it closely.

"What is this, Raxor?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"This is the machine that the tallauril built for the corumians," he said. "With this device they achieved their goal of eternal perpetuity."

"The eternal perpetuity of the corumians ... And it's in the cemetery ... I wonder ..."

The Doctor's mind was put to work immediately. The idea of immortal corumians was absurd for him; something was wrong and he had to find out what it was.

"Place the diamond into the opening and press the button in the console," Raxor ordered, putting the jewel in the Doctor's hand.

By placing the jewel the gallifreyan realized that the device was pointing directly at the statues, then a light went on in his head.

"Of course! Raxor, you have misinterpreted the discovery of your mentor!"

"I have misunderstood nothing. Push the button or I'll shoot your girl!"

Sarah looked nervously at the Doctor as he pressed the diamond of the console with stern face. Raxor prepared himself to receive the beam of immortality, but nothing happened.

"How is it possible? You, Doctor! The one who first makes the diamond shine is who should activate the machine. Were you the first one who touched the jewel?"

The Time Lord didn't answer. He remained silent staring at Raxor with one of those looks of his that froze the blood of those who dares to look at him, but once again Raxor ignored his silent warning.

"The girl!" Raxor shouted. "You were the first one who touched the diamond, weren't you? And you knew it, Doctor."

Sarah didn't respond. She just simply looked at him with a slight fear in her eyes.

"Raxor, listen to me. Give up your foolish intentions, this machine doesn't make what you think it makes," said the Doctor, slowly moving away from the artefact, trying to make Raxor realizes his mistake, but the angry man came toward the Time Lord and hit him with the butt of his gun, knocking him to the ground.

"Doctor!" Sarah cried.

"You, girl, press the button or I kill your boyfriend right now," he ordered, pointing his gun at the stunned Time Lord.

"If you kill him I won't do anything," she said.

"Okay, I won't kill him, but perhaps you act if you see him suffer a little."

Still pointing the gun he raised his foot and stomped the left hand of the Doctor, who let out a cry of pain that made Sarah run towards the control console.

"Don't do it, Sarah," said the gallifreyan. "Raxor, think about it, the corumians wanted to perpetuate themselves through their stone sculptures and architectures. Their concept of eternal life was different from ours."

"You're just talking nonsense," he said increasing the pressure of the foot that crushed the Time Lord's hand.

"Why is the machine in the cemetery, then? Why these statues are so well detailed? Look closely, they are actual size," continued the Doctor.

Sarah turned her gaze momentarily to the sculptures, understanding what her companion was trying to tell their captor. That chamber started to have for her an atmosphere of beauty and awe. The crunch of the bones of the Doctor's hand and his cry of pain made the girl back to focus on the suffering that Raxor was subjecting her beloved.

"Doctor!" from Sarah's eyes began to well up tears for him.

"Now I'll go on with his other hand and then I'll do the same with his neck," said Raxor with a frightening calm, taking his foot at the Doctor's right hand, crushing it slowly.

"All right! All right! I will activate this thing for you, but leave him," cried Sarah, who could no longer bear that situation.

The Time Lord closed his blue eyes grieved, not for himself, not for Sarah, but for that madman that was going to realize his mistake in the worst way possible.

"You win, I won't stop you, but why do you have this wish to achieve immortality at any cost?" he wanted to know before Sarah did nothing.

"Do you know anyone who is willing to die?" the man replied mockingly. "Imagine all the experiences you can live without being subject to time limitations. All the things that could be done. No one would leave anything unfinished."

"Death is part of life. Nobody wants to die or to see die, but it's something we all have to accept, even those that have a long life."

"I don't accept it, Doctor. I don't accept that my life limit is coming to an end prematurely."

Now they understood everything. Now they know why Raxor acted that way. That was the desperate attempt of a man to escape his approaching death. Their opinion of him had changed. Contempt had turned into pity.

"I'm sorry, Raxor, but what you're trying is not going to do any good," said the Doctor, his voice calm, even friendly.

"Anything is better than death."

"Forget this. You talked of living experiences. Do it, don't waste the time that you still have."

"Six months. I've got just six months until each and every of the parts of my body stop forever," Raxor's voice reflected pain for the first time. The Doctor could have used that moment of weakness to rise quickly and immobilize him, but his hands ached a lot and if he failed would endanger Sarah, so he remained quiet and continued his conversation with him.

"In six months you can live many experiences. Why don't you travel a little with us? You'll have fun, will do good things and you'll have chance to make people remember you for a long time. That is the true immortality."

"I don't need your compassion, Doctor!" The man began to lose his patience again.

"He's just trying to help," Sarah said. In all the time that they had been talking Raxor hadn't ceased to point his gun at the Doctor, so the young girl, nervous, hoped that everything would end soon.

"I've tried everything. I've seen the best specialists in the galaxy. Nobody can help me, and the last thing I want is to be pitied."

"If the corumians really got immortality, then where are they?" the Doctor asked so that Raxor saw what he was referring.

"There will be time to answer your transcendental questions, Doctor. Now, Miss Smith, press the button and we all will be able to get on with our lives."

The girl looked at the Time Lord, hesitantly. He was still lying on the ground, his hands bruised and expression of grief on his face. Raxor shot one of the statues, which was shattered forthwith, to indicate to Sarah that the next bullet would be for her beloved Doctor if she did not make what he asked. The journalist put her hand on the diamond of the console and pressed. A bright beam of light came out of the diamond and hit Raxor, on whose lips appeared a cold smile of triumph.

"Oh, yes! I can feel the energy moving through my body," said Raxor. "I feel even stronger. I feel ... I feel ..." something was wrong.

Sarah ran to the Doctor and knelt beside him. He sat up and hugged the girl while Raxor started screaming in pain. In that moment of mental confusion in which he was he pulled the trigger of his gun, causing a bullet hole in the control panel of the machine, which destroyed the main control making it useless forever.

"What's going on, Doctor?" Raxor asked while his skin was hardened, acquiring the texture of the stone.

"It's what I was trying to say. The idea of eternal life for the corumians was the perpetuity of their stone artworks. What this machine makes is to transform organic matter into stone. With it they transformed the bodies of their dead in stone statues so they could be eternal," The Doctor finished his explanation just before Raxor turned completely into a statue of reddish stone, the only one with pained expression on his face. "That's why it is in the cemetery. It's another method of burial." Although he said this aloud, it was not directed at anyone in particular.

"I had to do it," Sarah said, affected to see the terrible statue. "I had to help you."

"Don't feel guilty. The fear of his own death prevented him from thinking clearly," the Doctor reassured her, gently stroking her back, ignoring the pain in his hands.

"Can I feel sorry?" Sarah asked.

The Doctor nodded.

"You can."

After a few moments in silence Sarah focused her attention on the Doctor's hands, bruised, swollen. She took them in hers carefully.

"How are you, my love?" She asked, worried.

"Don't worry. My hands hurt, but I have no broken bones. It takes more than a foot for that," he said softly.

"I'll put you ice when we return to the TARDIS," Sarah said, gently kissing his hands, being careful not to hurt him.

"You worry too much, my dear," he said with a smile.

"Nonsense," she replied.

They both stood up, refocusing their attention on Raxor. They couldn't stop looking at him. Sarah had the feeling that the statue was staring at her. She was uncomfortable in that chamber.

"Horrible way to die," Sarah said shakily.

The Doctor watched closely the statue when a shiver through his body. He turned his back to the reddish stone, his face grim.

"He's not dead," he said quietly. "I've felt a consciousness trapped forever in stone."

"Horrible way to live," the girl corrected. "Is there any way to reverse the process?"

"No," the Doctor replied bitterly. "The machine no longer works, there isn't way to try."

Sarah shed a tear for the doomed man. Despite the bad experience they had passed he didn't deserve to end like this.

"Come on, Sarah. I've had enough stones for this century."

They went to the cemetery exit slowly and quietly, a sign of respect to the eternal rest of the corumians and mourning for Raxor. They both thought that someone should mourn his loss. Before leaving, the Doctor gave a last look at the chamber of the statues.

"Farewell, Raxor. Here's your eternal life. Is this better fate than death?"

The End.


End file.
